System and method for controlling a display of data

• US 20050262450A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sauermann, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A system and method for displaying a scroll-bar or toggle-button-set to control a display of data of an individual column and/or row. A table of intersecting columns and rows is displayed, each intersection forming a cell, and a scroll-bar or toggle-button-set is displayed for an individual column and/or row if a cell of the column and/or row contains data, the display settings of the data requiring for a display of the data an area that is larger than an area allotted to the cell.

Claims

1. A computer system for controlling a display of data, comprising:

a computer monitor configured to display a table arranged to show a structural relationship of data, the table configured to include at least one column and at least one row that intersect,

wherein a column-data control is configured to be displayed and to be associated with data that is within a particular one of the at least one column.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the column-data control is displayed upon a condition that the particular column contains a first data, display settings of the first data requiring for a display of the first data a first area that is wider than the particular column.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the column-data control is at least one of a horizontal scroll-bar and a horizontal toggle-button-set.

4. The computer system of claim 3,

wherein the horizontal toggle-button-set includes a left and a right toggle button that are alternatively selectable, a left end of the first data displayed when the left toggle button is selected and a right end of the first data displayed when the right toggle button is selected.

5. The computer system of claim 3,

wherein the first data is configured to horizontally stream in response to a selection of a toggle button of the horizontal toggle-button-set.

6. The computer system of claim 3,

wherein the horizontal toggle-button-set is displayed when the width of the first area is not more than double the particular column'"'"'s width and the horizontal scroll-bar is displayed when the width of the first area is more than double the particular column'"'"'s width.

7. The computer system of claim 3,

wherein the at least one column includes a first column and a second column, and

wherein, in accordance with a user choice, the horizontal toggle-button-set is displayed for one of the first and second columns and the horizontal scroll-bar for the other of the first and second columns.

8. The computer system of claim 2,

wherein the particular column includes a first cell that contains the first data, and a second cell that contains a second data, display settings of the second data requiring for a display of the second data a second area that is wider than the particular column, and

wherein the column-data control includes a first column-data control displayed within the first cell and a second column-data control displayed within the second cell.

9. A computer system for controlling a display of data, comprising:

a computer monitor configured to display a table arranged to show a structural relationship of data, the table configured to include at least one column and at least one row that intersect,

wherein a row-data control is configured to be displayed and to be associated with data that is within a particular one of the at least one row.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the row-data control is at least one of a vertical scroll-bar and a vertical toggle-button-set.

11. A computer-implemented method for controlling a display of data, comprising:

displaying a table arranged to show a structural relationship of data and that includes at least one column and at least one row that intersect; and

displaying a column-data control associated with data that is within a particular one of the at least one column.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the column-data control is displayed upon a condition that the particular column contains a first data, display settings of the first data requiring for a display of the first data a first area that is wider than the particular column.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the column-data control is at least one of a horizontal scroll-bar and a horizontal toggle-button-set.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13,

wherein the horizontal toggle-button-set includes a left and a right toggle button that are alternatively selectable, a left end of the first data displayed when the left toggle button is selected and a right end of the first data displayed when the right toggle button is selected.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13,

wherein the horizontal toggle-button-set is displayed when the width of the first area is not more than double the width of the particular column and the horizontal scroll-bar is displayed when the width of the first area is more than double the width of the particular column.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the particular column includes a plurality of cells, and wherein the column-data control is displayed within at least one of the plurality of cells upon a condition that the at least one cell is selected.

17. A computer-implemented method for controlling a display of data, comprising:

displaying a table arranged to show a structural relationship of data and that includes at least one column and at least one row that intersect; and

displaying a row-data control associated with data that is within a particular one of the at least one row.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the row-data control is at least one of a vertical scroll-bar and a vertical toggle-button-set.

19. A computer system for controlling a display of data, comprising:

a computer display;

a table configured to be displayed in the computer display; and

a control device configured to be displayed in the computer display if a particular one of a plurality of cells of the table contains data, display settings of the data requiring for a display of the data a display-area larger than a display-area allotted to the particular cell,

wherein the control device is at least one of a scroll-bar and a toggle-button-set, and

wherein the control device is associated with the particular cell.

20. A computer implemented display, comprising:

a display area configured to display a table arranged to show a structural relationship of data and having intersecting rows and columns; and

a scroll bar configured to be displayed horizontally in the display area to control a display of data in one column of the table.

21. A computer system comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to display data in a tabular format including at least one row and at least one column, the GUI further providing at least one horizontal scroll control,

wherein each of the at least one horizontal scroll control is associated with a particular column and is displayed upon a condition that display settings of a data associated with the particular column require for a display of the data an area that is wider than the particular column.

22. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to be used to control a display of data, the method comprising:

displaying a table arranged to show a structural relationship of data and that includes at least one column and at least one row that intersect; and

displaying a column-data control associated with data that is within a particular one of the at least one column.

23. A navigation tool for tabular data on a display, comprising:

a scroll-bar provided on the display that, when activated, causes a corresponding shift of displayable data of a particular cell of a table.

24. A computer-implemented method for controlling a display of data, comprising:

displaying a table that includes a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows that intersect; and

displaying a column-data control associated with a particular one of the plurality of columns to allow for independent control of data contained within the particular column.